Dimensional Scope
by Niko
Summary: Zim still has the dimensional scope from Dib's nightmare world but the visions it shows him are much different. ZADR.
1. The Teaser

Hello, Niko here. This fic may or may not be slash as it progresses but it will detail m+m relationships so if you don't like that, as with all warnings, do not read it. BTW, IZ isn't mine. It belongs to the guy with the cool name!  
  
This isn't really chapter one. It's more a teaser I guess. So if you like it, please review so I know I'm doing more than just typing to see the words fly across the screen ^,~ Beta-ed by Karyx!  
  
**  
The underground lair was quiet. Though it can be said it was usually quiet under all those layers of earth and metal, it seemed unusually so. Most of the electronic giants were turned down or off, the defense systems and the more important doodads left online, emanating a buzz of life. For some reason, probably one of taco influence, Gir had stepped out of the fortress, a disgruntled pig on his disguised head. The immense levels of subterranean Irkin genius were left unscathed by the "advanced" SIR unit's insane rampages, though his presence was felt in the device cradled in the electronic arms of an active application. Gir had found it not long after Halloween, in the aftermath of his sugar crusade. It was of medium size and looked a lot like binoculars that pointed into a curved antenna-type deal at the end. Zim scratched his head in annoyance as the computer monitor once again displayed its findings, none of which answered his questions. The device, he remembered, was from Dib's nightmarish world in his head. Zim had found it in the Membranes' lab, though he hadn't been sure at first what it was. One look into it's frightening depths and he knew for certain it was what he had come for. What he didn't know then and what still eluded him was how and why it worked. Dib had explained it minimally between captures, rescues and betrayals. It showed other dimensions, possibilities of sorts of what could have been under different circumstances in the past and present. Zim narrowed his crimson eyes. That was too vague for his Irkin mind to understand; he required details, schematics, something concrete! He needed to know WHY the Dimensional Scope showed him these visions!   
  
Zim looked around, making sure no one was anywhere near as he pulled the scope towards himself. He bit his bottom lip, knowing almost exactly what he was to expect as he closed the gap between it and his face. His eyes were burned open by the sight they were opened too. It was himself, rolling around with Dib, crashing down a hill, it seemed, with strange music, colliding in the fall. They were both laughing, not at the other's humiliation or pain, but at...fun. They landed at the bottom of the hill, Dib's golden eyes sparkling while Zim's own, unmasked by the horrible contact lenses his disguise required, were alight with untainted glee. The real Zim swallowed hard, wanting to push the scope away but wishing to learn more. The otherworldly pair smiled at each other, talking volumes in silence, reaching out to hold the other's hand while birds sang in the bright blue sky. Disgusting! The two warm bodies on the grass leaned forward, eyes half-lidded as their faces inclined together and their lips brushed in intimate enclosure.   
  
Zim tossed the scope away with more force than he intended, wincing as he heard it crash to the ground, the sound echoing in the low hum of the labs.   
  
"That could never BE!" he shouted with outrage. "What kind of Irkin Invader would involve himself in activities such as THOSE! WITH A HUMAN!" Zim stroked his antennae, trying to calm his racing heart. His face felt hot and he was breathing as if he had just run home from skool. Skool! Zim looked at the clock and grimaced. He'd be late if he didn't head off soon. He pushed off from the workbench, jumping out of the chair and walking briskly to the elevator. From there, it was only a short trip to the upstairs, his disguise being adopted on the way up. The Dimensional Scope problem thingy could wait until later; he had important human data to collect. 


	2. Skool Suks

Wow, such great responses in such a short amount of time! I'm glad people are interested. Hope this satisfies more that the previous chapter/teaser.  
  
  
**  
  
Zim was already in his seat when the bell rang and Mrs. Bitters's slanted gaze surveyed the rows of children for those absent. It was more a routine than anything, as the expected children inhabited their seats and one desk in the front row always remained empty until a minute or two after the bell. Zim hardly had time to notice the missing body before the door to the class opened, admitting two black boot-clad feet that walked briskly to the center of the classroom. Dib stood, hands by the sides of his black trench coat, looking as calm and paranoid as usual, his eyes casually drifting to Zim while he made his excuse. It was just as daily a routine as the rest. Dib would punctuate any part of his excuse concerning paranormal or threatening intent with obvious glares in Zim's direction and Zim, being the superior being he was, would simply ignore it. It had gotten to the point that Zim hardly even attempted to listen to the excuses and just waited for the look so he could respond appropriately. On this day, however, curiosity intervened, carried on the hem of the black trench coat.   
  
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bitters. I was in the chemistry lab researching the affects of foreign chemicals to inhuman DNA." Dib turned his head with the customary glare, the golden eyes staring right into Zim through the glass lenses. The Irkin intended to roll his eyes or sneer but found his mouth lax and eyes staring back. The visual contact couldn't have lasted more than a moment but, as most moments were, it was long enough to encompass every memory of what the dimensional scope had displayed. Zim tore his gaze away, rubbing at his foul eyes for betraying him to the visions of horror. Dib seemed unaware anything had passed and walked to his seat on the opposite end of the room, much to the Irkin's delight.   
  
"The Dib is an unneeded distraction," Zim thought, clasping his hands over his desk. "I'll just have to avoid him more than usual 'til I get things figured out." Hopeful, though still disgusted, Zim sat back with a soothing whistle on his lips.  
  
"I decided your text books were doomed and burned them, so now we'll have to study out of these Harlequin novels the convent donated. You'll be quizzed over doomed romances at the end of the period." Mrs. Bitters seethed, hovering like a dark shadow over her desk. "Turn to page 13 and begin reading!"  
  
Zim gawked at his misfortune. Surely this was a joke! Why now, at his time of treacherous confusion, would Mrs. Bitters assign such emotional human filth? He knew pretty well what lay encased in the pages between the slightly thicker covers. Gir had somehow acquired one by means only the robot was sure to know; it was almost as bad as the time he'd discovered daytime TV. Zim looked up, casting a gaze to the other students and to Mrs. Bitters, wondering if he'd heard correctly.   
  
Mrs. Bitters snapped her attention to Zim's questioning search with gleeful disdain. "What, Zim?"  
  
Zim gave a needless cough. "Are you sure we're to be reading from these?" he asked, holding the novel above his head.  
  
The teacher's facial expression was static. Mrs. Bitters slipped back into her seat and began to nap, not willing to dignify the question with a response.  
  
"What's the matter, Zim," came the familiar, if not annoying chant from across the room, "don't aliens know what romance is?"  
  
Zim's eye twitched, his head turning slowly to glair evilly in Dib' direction.  
  
"Hey, look everybody!" the girl from behind him called out. "Zim's blushing!"  
  
The Irkin snapped his face back to front of the room, his hands reaching for his cheeks. They felt warm under his gloved hands. Not as warm as the anger that stirred in his guts, though. Zim cursed under his breath as his classmates laughed. This was all that stupid human invention's fault! No! It was all DIB'S fault! And Dib would pay for this. All of it.  
  
"Stinking worm baby!" he muttered, looking out the corner of his eye to his adversary. Dib stared right back at him, neither laughing nor smirking in his small victory. Zim felt flushed again and screeched in dismay at his physical reactions. Deciding it was best to completely ignore the whole of the classroom, he slipped deeper into his desk, opening his book and reading the passages assigned. About half way through it though, it became obvious something was wrong. For some reason, every time he read the word 'she' it came out 'he,' followed by the disturbing mental image of himself and the stinking human. Sabotage, he thought, slamming the book down.  
  
"I will not be FOOLED by your lies of EVIL!" he erupted, staggering more than half the class.  
  
Mrs. Bitters awoke with a start but was stopped short of reprimanding the alien as the skool bell rang, releasing the children in a mad dash for freedom. Zim, being closest to the door, charged forth without hesitation. Someone was calling his name as he leapt down the front stairs and into the street, but it went unanswered. Dib watched Zim run from the skool's entrance, his curious gaze flashing behind glass lenses.  
  
**  
  
Beta-ed by the wonderful Karyx! 


	3. Humans Bleed Red

This chapter has bumped the rating from PG-13 to R because of rather descriptive violence. If blood makes you icky, I do not suggest reading this. Please read with caution. Beta-ed by Karyx!  
**  
  
  
Zim maniacally laughed from his roof at the pathetic human cities as they crumbles, fire churning the buildings to rubble and smoke filling the sky with black foreboding clouds. Gir was busy running around singing his infamous "Doom Song," gleefully prancing over the ashen ruins of humanity. It was a glorious conquest. Zim cast his victorious gaze across the panic struck streets, watching the vain attempts to escape. He stopped suddenly, both in sight and laughter, as his ruby eyes focused on one unmoving body, the black of the hair and clothes contrasting against the red chaotic background, the golden eyes mirroring the flames. Zim felt his chest constrict with pain. The Dib walked closer, passing through the crowds untouched. Suddenly the panic and terror all around him registered as Zim looked frantically from one burning building to the next. He'd destroyed Dib's planet, his home. Dib silently crept up until he stood in the front yard, staring at Zim from the ground. Zim expected anger, hatred, fear, something around those lines. Not a smile. Not the small tweak of his lips and the dim glow behind glass-framed eyes. Outrage, guilt, and confusion, not Dib's, but Zim's own, screamed through the Irkin's veins. How dare the human ruin his moment of triumph! And yet, at that moment, out of the corner of his eye, a sudden movement caught his attention. He watched as the lawn gnomes turned, facing the intruder with weapons ready. There wasn't time to warn, nor was there time to disengage their defense mechanism. There was only time to watch.   
  
He had heard before and seen in small accounts, but it was unmistakable now. Humans bled in red.  
  
From the roof to the ground was a painful leap but mindlessly, Zim jumped, hearing the snap of a bone as he stumbled from the grass to the red-washed sidewalk. Dib's eyes were closed, the glasses broken and strewn across the grass in shattered shards.  
  
"Awww...Master's enemy Dib is dead…." Gir said in a hushed tone of reverence that was quickly dispelled with a random, "WEEEEE! AH HA HAH AHA HA!" as the undisguised robot danced and frolicked around the prone body, splashing in the puddles of blood.  
  
"Gir, stop that at once!" Zim tried to shout, finding his mouth full of something that was instantly expelled as his jaw dropped. He opened his mouth again experimentally, finding more of this something pouring out like water from a pitcher. It tasted metallic and felt thick in his mouth. He looked into his hands, watching them fill with the liquid pouring from his mouth. It was red, just like the fluids that drained from Dib's lifeless form. The Irkin gagged, choking on the bile that rose to meet the never-ending flow of blood from his orifice.  
  
"Master defeated the stupid Dib human!" Gir sang, unaware of the frantic scene. He danced more, his body dripping with the splashed blood, turning the turquoise into crimson. "Stupid, stupid huuuman!" he chanted. "Stupid, stupid Diiiiib! Hey, I know!" A sudden arsenal of pointed objects protruded from his head cap. "Let's dissect him!"  
  
Zim watched the fires dance over the many blades, almost mesmerized by them. "No, Gir!" he burbled over the flow of blood. "Leave him alone!"  
  
The SIR unit seemed to ponder the slurred wet speech with a curious lift to his glowing eyes. "I understand," it squeaked. And with that, it lifted its tools and sliced into the yielding peach flesh, through the black cloth of the T-shirt with practiced ease.   
  
There was so much blood. It was everywhere, in everything. All over the metal floor. Splashing like raindrops with an audible plop.  
  
"My, these humans have an interesting biology!" Purple commented, leaning into the glass on the observation deck, peering down into the display far below in the circular room.  
  
Zim looked up to see the Tallest standing beside him. A quick look around showed all the invaders of Operation Impending Doom II. All of them looked immensely entertained by the floorshow below.  
  
"AHHHHHH!"  
  
The piercing scream drew Zim's attention to the spectacle as well. The railing was too high. He jumped up and down, straining to see through the glass and down into the observatory lab. What was going on? What was everyone looking at? Someone seemed to register his plight and soon gently lifted him up so he could see as well.   
  
"AHHHHHHHHH!"  
  
Dib's eyes were open in shock, his mouth wide in echoing screams as Irkin doctors extracted organs from an open cavity in his torso. Tears streamed down his face as pain contorted his features, his limbs shaking in their restraints.  
  
"Dib!" Zim shouted, clawing at the glass with fingers scratching against the surface, "He's alive! Stop! Wait!"  
  
"We always knew you could do it!" Red praised, lowering Zim to the ground. "Even as short as you are, Irkin Invader blood marches through your veins!"  
  
"Wait! What about Dib?!"  
  
The Tallest both smiled, bringing their hands together in short, repetitive claps. One by one the other observers joined in.  
  
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clip clap. Clip clap. Clip clap. Clip clap clack. Clip clap clack. Clip clap clack. Clip clap clack. Clap...clap…drip...drip…drip….  
  
Zim stood alone in the dissection room, gazing at the mutilated body on the table; an unbound arm hung off the end, a trail of blood flowing down and pooling at the fingertips. Most of the body was mercifully concealed with a pure white sheet, the lone arm and the tufts of black hair the only evidence a body was even there. Jars and bottles held the extracted organs floating in multicolored liquids, with labels that read only questionable names. The lungs were in the first jar labeled "pink bags," while the next-the "squiggly tubes"-were his intestines. A whole table was designated for the various containers holding the human components. Alone they were nothing but organs. On the dissection table lay nothing but a body, an empty vessel covered in a blanket. Zim walked the counter of jars, almost brought to laughter at the designated labels, stopping at the one called the "pump thingy." The human heart. The Irkin looked at it critically. All of humanities strongest emotions were supposed to come from the heart, he'd read: anger, hatred, fear, loathing, sickness...love. And in the end it was nothing more than a specimen in a jar. And yet…. Zim crept closer, his hands grasping the warm glass. Warm. And in sudden, startled fear he let it go. The glass container fell to the ground, smashing into countless pieces on impact. The "pump thingy" lay in the midst of it all, beating, constricting with an almost audible resonance. Zim shrieked, jumping away from it in horror.  
  
"What are you doing, Zim?"  
  
The Irkin turned, his pulse racing in his head. "Dib?!"  
  
Dib leaned against the tree, his features shaded and enlightened by the cascading rays of sunlight that filtered through the leaves. Behind the glass frames, his eyes focused skeptically on Zim. "Are you feeling okay? You don't look so well."  
  
Zim shook his head. "No...I feel fine." He smiled, taking Dib's hand in his own. "What were you saying?"  
  
"Nothing." Dib gave the hand a small squeeze. "Just making small talk."  
  
The clouds drifted like rabbit tails in the blue expanse of the sky with kites skittering across like pebbles skipping over lakes.  
  
"How long have we been here?"  
  
"Does it mater?"  
  
Zim turned his head, "Why are we here?"  
  
"Because you're here."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Because I'm here."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I love you."  
  
Zim shot up, his eyes narrowing. "You LIE, human!" The Irkin jumped to his feet, backing away slowly. "Why are you doing this? You're supposed to be chasing me and screaming threats and flashing your troublesome earth technology at me!"  
  
Dib looked up with an understanding smile. "Oh, you want to play THAT game." He got to his feet, standing inches before Zim. "Okay then." He closed the distance between them with a light, feathery kiss on the lips. "Run."  
  
The sheets fell from Zim's sweat-sheened body as he forced himself to consciousness and out of the hellish nightmares that plagued his sleep. His breath came in short gasps as his pulse continued to feed fire through his veins. His hands grasped the sheets in fistfuls, his limbs shaking.  
  
"Curse you, Dib."   
**  
  
If you didn't catch it, it was all a dream up until that last paragraph. ~Niko 


	4. Timmy and Ronda

I hope to finish this by Sunday and get another chapter out tonight. I'm kinda in the middle of moving and my computer goes soon to storage ::screams of agony echo:: Yeah, that's my soul's dismay. Anyway, I guess the fic's back on track. I've kinda lost my way (4 chapters and I'm confused. jeez) a while ago. Anyway, lots less blood! None in fact! Enjoy! Beta-ed by Karyx!  
  
**  
  
"You're pathetic," Gaz commented, never lifting her gaze from her Game Slave 2, as she and her brother sat on a bench during recess. They'd been sitting for more than half the time, her getting twelve levels up in her latest game "Zombie Moose Doom" and Dib looking every which way for his green-skinned target. The "alien" hadn't shown up for skool that day, leaving fears and doubts running through the eldest Membrane child's head.  
  
"Maybe he's planning some kind of mass hypnotism to trick humanity into obeying his will," Dib thought, speaking out loud his paranoid thoughts. "I know you think I'm crazy, Gaz, but I know something weird is going to happen and it's going to be Zim behind it. I'm sure of it."  
  
"The only thing weird around here, Dib, is you. Now leave me alone before I decide to destroy you."  
  
Dib scrunched his face is disapproval. After all she'd seen, his lab, his horrible alien body, the floating spaceship orbiting earth, how could she still doubt Zim's evil intent? He sighed, chewing on his bottom lip. If only he didn't have to finish the skool day. Why couldn't Zim wait to do things when he wasn't already busy? He'd have to sneak by Zim's house for sure after skool with some surveillance equipment, he figured, just to make sure he was prepared for whatever the alien would throw at him this time.  
  
"DIB!"  
  
His head snapped in the direction of the voice, his eyes focusing on the lone body that perched on the top of the monkey bars with a menacing scowl.  
  
"This is it, Dib!" the alien began. "I'm calling you out!"  
  
Dib arched his eyes quizzically. "I'm already outside."  
  
"SILENCE!"  
  
Zim leapt from the monkey bars to the asphalt playground, landing on a hopscotch outline with his feet firmly planted on the 3 and 4. "I've had enough of this childish squabbling! This will end NOW! Well, not now, but TODAY!" he shouted.  
  
"You're challenging me?"  
  
"I do not challenge. I DEMAND!" Zim stepped closer, his shadow engulfing Dib as the sunlight gave him an unworldly glow. "No more tricks, human," he whispered, so only the two of them would hear. "No more sneaking around and no more worthless competition. Just you and me. I believe you wretched beasts call it a duel." His thick jade lips pulled back to reveal a white, feral smile.  
  
Earlier that day, Zim left his bedroom feeling sticky and tired, not having slept much at all since the nightmares had begun. His eyes felt gritty. The very idea of covering the sensitive retinas with the foul contact lenses made his head ache more. He couldn't take it anymore. The dimensional scope had planted the seeds of betrayal in his own mind, making him wince and feel every want and pull that drove the thoughts to focus and his mind into insanity. How could this be? Feelings...for a human? Not any human, but DIB? Sworn enemy of the superior being he was! It could not be!   
  
"Goooood mooooorrrrnniiiinnnggg!"  
  
Zim winced even before two robotic arms wrapped around him in a cold metal hug that was much tighter than comfort allowed.   
  
"Can we make waffles?" Gir asked, pulling away from his master and leaping towards the couch. "I'm so hungry."  
  
"No, Gir. We cannot make waffles. I have to go to skool," Zim muttered, not feeling up to it in the slightest.   
  
"But I love waffles," Gir purred. "Almost as much as I love you!"  
  
"INVADERS DO NOT NEED LOVE!"   
  
The "advanced" SIR unit jumped, startled, but without the brainpower to know when to leave it be. "I think somebody needs another huug!"  
  
Zim would have ripped out his hair had he had any. "No Gir! No hugs! No waffles! No love! Invaders do not require emotion! We do not require friendship! We do not require anything or anyone!" He spoke the last in a rush, not sure why he felt the need to continue his rant. "And invaders certainly do not need foolish humans meddling in their hearts...minds...SCHEMES!"   
  
Gir smiled. "This is just like on 'Nights of our Lives!' Timmy wants to go out with Ronda but Timmy isn't sure if-"  
  
"That's enough, Gir." Zim shook his head, the headache he'd already had exploding to new levels. "Why don't you watch more TV or eat some filthy earth cereal in the cold box thing?"  
  
"-But Ronda used to do baaad things and it hurt Timmy's feelings! And Ronda and Timmy had a BIG fight and Timmy realized she was a good person even if she did bad things sometimes and they kissed and were happy the end!" Gir said, his tongue sticking out between his chrome lips.  
  
"Oooohh!" Zim raised his fists to smack the stupid robot but stopped in mid battle cry. "Yes...that's it…"  
  
Gir's stupid expression followed Zim into the kitchen where the Irkin opened a bag of food from his own planet and began eating.  
  
"Don't you see, Gir? It's the reason I've let these images and thoughts get to me! That stupid earth monkey is my worthy adversary, almost my EQUAL! His skills and constant thwarting of my plans have almost granted him respect in my mind! I've been thinking about him as if he were WORTHY of such emotions!" Zim laid his food down on the counter, wiping at his mouth. "If I defeat him once and for all, he will no longer be my equal. I will be the superior being once more!"  
  
"Hurrah!" Gir cheered. "And we'll go out for tacos to celebrate!"  
  
"Yes, Gir. We shall have tacos." Zim pounded his closed fist on the counter. "But first, how shall I defeat Dib? I must be fair if I'm to be satisfied." He began to rap his fingers across the hard surface, biting on his tongue in thought.  
  
Gir looked around at the ceiling, the floor, the walls, and finally gave a small yawn before saying anything in response. "I saw two guys fight in a movie one time."  
  
Zim shook his head. "Good work, Gir. I'm afraid that you've maxed your quota on helpfulness this week. Go back to doing whatever stupid things you do when I'm away."  
  
"I'm gonna make waffles!"  
  
The SIR unit scrambled off into the many drawers, pulling out things with gleeful yips and yaps. Zim looked away and flushed himself to his lab before he was tempted to dismantle the robot.   
  
In the lab he took a seat on the tall comfy chair. "Computer, run a scan on popular earth battling styles and compare to known Irkin types. Display all similarities and list the top ten compatible styles."  
  
The computer was silent for a moment, then lit the screen with numbers and pictures, filing through the archives within seconds and leaving the desired data for review on the screen. "Compatible list compiled. Direct match found."  
  
"Direct match?" Zim's eyes widened in surprise as he clicked the flashing text that displayed the supplied information.  
  
Dueling, or The Ranmat in Irkin. Designed for two people, standing back to back; both take ten paces forward, are given the signal, then turn and fire his or her weapon. Winner lives, looser dies. Warning: do not try this at home.  
  
Zim scratched his chin, "The Ranmat...it seems very fair. And I can get Gir to signal. Hmm...." A far cry in the back of his mind tried to remind him that he didn't want to kill Dib, but it was far too distant from the immediate cry to end the haunting visions.   
  
Presently, Dib stared into Zim's eyes, his mind screaming one thing while his pride bellowed another. In the end, the same force won out in both.  
  
"I accept." 


	5. Rather be Catching Fireflies

And for the first time in a while, Dib's perspective! For my favorite character, I certainly haven't been spending as much time with him as I would think I would. And now for sleep even though my favorite part is coming up next. I guess I like torturing myself. Oh well. Beta-ed by Karyx!  
  
**  
  
"I'm leaving now, Gaz."  
  
Dib stood by the front door, one hand just above the handle while the other lay at his side. His sister sat on the couch with her Game Slave 2, a box of pizza on the coffee table. She didn't acknowledge his presence, let alone the fact he was speaking to her. "If I'm not back by nine..." He glanced at his watch; it was only seven. "Then...well..."  
  
"I know, I know. Tape Mysterious Mysteries." She sneered. "If I remember, I might do it."  
  
"I'm dueling to the DEATH, Gaz!" Dib practically shouted. "What I was going to say was that if I'm not back by nine, I'm probably dead. Whatever happens, don't tell dad. But if you can, can you contact the Swollen Eyeball for me?"  
  
She scoffed. " See you by nine, Dib. And tell your little friend good luck for me."  
  
Dib shook his head, turning the knob and stepping out into the cool night air. The sun had set, but the stars still weren't out, leaving only the moon to govern the sky.  
  
"Why am I doing this?" Dib thought as he shoved his hands in his pockets. It had gotten cooler since the day but his trench coat served him well in all weather. It wasn't a long walk to Zim's house, but Dib decided to walk slower than usual, looking around at things he took for granted on a daily basis. "This is nuts. Outsmarting each other is one thing, but coming right out with the intent to kill? Can I kill someone in cold blood?" His mind had been over the same thoughts over and over again since he's accepted the match. "That was so stupid. I should know better than to let Zim talk me into something in the heat of the moment. Always got to be showing off to that alien monster. What good is my showing off to the world? I can't stop Zim by jumping as high as he can! I have to be the one opening the trap door for him to fall into when he comes back down!" He kicked a rock, watching it sputter down the gutter. "This isn't fun, this isn't friendly competition and this isn't even me stopping one of Zim's plans. This is me, being stupid, going to Zim's house to kill or be killed. It's always been that way, I guess, but it was the underlying fact, the small print. Not the headline."  
  
The lawn gnomes were suddenly in focus, along with the flamingo and blurry flag waving in the slight night breeze. Dib wished he had contacts. The last thing he needed to do was worry about his glasses falling off his nose. Funny how small things seemed to matter now more than at other times. Or maybe not funny at all.  
  
"I can't believe Gaz acted like that. I might die and she's acting like I told her I was stepping out to catch fireflies!" Dib clenched his hands into fists. "No. I'm not going to die. I'm going to kill Zim first. No more late nights of worry, planning, obsessive observations, and stress headaches. The earth will be safe...and I'll be utterly alone again."  
  
The door was before him before he realized it. He had four choices. Ring the doorbell, knock on the door, go on in, or turn and run. In the end, it was only two choices. Kill or don't kill. Die or don't die.  
  
"Errrr! I'm not going to die!" he assured himself with agitation. Why was he getting all pessimistic? Just because Zim was the only person who ever noticed when he entered a room wasn't grounds to not kill him. Just because the alien bent on world domination was the closest thing to a friend he had, aside from his sister who found better companionship in a video game.... Dib's head dropped to his chest.   
  
An image of Zim blushing in class after one of his own snide remarks suddenly came to mind. What had he said again? Something about Irkins not knowing what romance was? Dib rubbed at his temple. Zim had looked so...embarrassed. Like he'd let something slip that he hadn't wanted anyone to see. Had Dib been the only one not to have seen it? Or was he the only one who truly did? Such anger, frustration and confusion. Dib knew those emotions well. He'd tried to inquire about them, but Zim had run, only to come back the next day with his final call to arms.  
  
"That's it," Dib muttered. "This has to do with something that happened in class yesterday. I don't know why I didn't see it before!" But the more Dib thought about it, the more confused he got. He hadn't really spoken to Zim at all except for the few words exchanged across the classroom. So why this? Why now?  
  
The door suddenly opened, startling Dib out of his thoughts.  
  
"Just how long did you plan on standing out there, Dib?" Zim questioned.  
  
Dib shrugged his shoulders. "Long enough."  
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
Now there was the double jeopardy question. Dib worried his bottom lip uneasily. "Yeah. I am."  
  
"Good." Zim opened the door wider for admittance. "Follow me." 


	6. Pity

This is NOT the last chapter, so don't worry. I'd tell you my intent, but then there would be no reason to read the rest. Anyway, time for this little god of death to go eat herself a bowl of life cereal! Beta-ed by Karyx!  
**  
  
Dib looked around uneasily. This was a part of the lab he'd never seen before. Unlike the others, it was missing the many computer screens and funky cables. It was rectangular, and a little more than half a basketball court in length. It was completely empty. Dib bit his lip. There would be no place to hide if he missed. Suddenly, a little robot pushed his way past in a hurry.  
  
"I neeed to get these to my Master!" it said as it skipped off with two bright purple guns in its arms.  
  
Zim turned towards the robot and patted it gently on the head. "Thank you, Gir. I just may buy you a burrito as well when this is over."  
  
"BUUURRRIIITTTOOO!" It latched onto Zim's leg "I looove you!"  
  
The Irkin waited until the robot let go, then walked towards Dib, holding out one of the guns. "I assume you know how to use one?"  
  
Dib nodded. "It doesn't take a genius." The gun felt odd in his hand. And so very wrong. "Why do you want to do this, Zim?" he asked.  
  
"Because it will finally end everything!"  
  
"Are you sure you want everything to end?"  
  
Zim blinked in surprise. "You know nothing. Let's begin." He motioned to a spot in the floor, marked off with an X in red, for them to begin their march. "We will start there. Do not cheat, filthy human. My SIR unit will destroy you immediately, if you do."  
  
A short glance at the robot left Dib a little more than sure it posed no threat. "And how do I know you won't cheat?"  
  
"It is not within Irkin Blood! We are honorable, unlike you!"  
  
"Alright, fine then. I guess I'll just have to trust you," Dib stated, taking his place at the starting point.  
  
"Same here," Zim muttered as he took his place as well, his back against Dib's. He felt so warm, he noticed. Even through the trench coat, Zim could feel the other's body heat soak into him. It was a comfortable reassurance. No one had ever gotten this close to him without of his disguise on, or even when it was on, aside from in his face, screaming and threatening.   
  
"Ready?" came the robotic voice from the idiot sitting by the exit.  
  
Zim swallowed hard, then nodded. One. Two. Zim began counting along with Gir in his head as he walked.  
  
"I know this has something to do with yesterday, Zim," Dib shouted back.  
  
Zim sighed. He'd lost his count. "This has everything to do with the past year, Dib."  
  
Five. Six.  
  
"So you're saying you went to sleep one night and woke up thinking, 'today I'm finally going to kill my adversary'?"   
  
"Errrr...YES!"  
  
Eight. Nine.  
  
TEN!  
  
Dib turned around as quickly as he could, his eyes shifting to catch Zim in his peripheral view before he made his full circle. The alien was turning slower than he was, which gave Dib a momentary smirk. But his eyes...he looked so sad.... Dib was facing completely forward, his gun aimed and held far away from his body. Zim looked at him as he made his own full circle and winced, expecting the blast at any moment.  
  
"I don't believe you, Zim!"  
  
He opened one of his ruby eyes experimentally, shocked to see Dib still holding his gun in his steady grasp.  
  
"Why haven't you shot yet?" Zim asked.  
  
"Do you WANT me to kill you?!" Dib nearly shrieked.   
  
"I want NOTHING from you! You...YOU...!" Zim's eyes fell to the floor. It wasn't working. Dib was still as strong and beautiful as he'd always been in his mind. More so, even. He hadn't shot. He hadn't wanted to kill. Hopefulness rose in Zim's guts. Maybe Dib felt the same...  
  
"Zim...are you alright?"  
  
He looked up, finding Dib directly in front of him.   
  
He pities me, Zim realized. He sees me as weak for letting my emotions get in the way. He's right; I am not the superior being as long as he lives. I cannot conquer this planet as long as he is around. It's all his fault. The Almighty Tallest will never trust me again if I let him win.  
  
"It's all your fault!"   
  
Battle instincts took over. His gun rose from his side, his finger pulling the trigger even before he realized his intent. Dib's shocked wide eyes grew impossibly wider as he was thrown backwards, falling to the floor and slipping across with a red arch blossoming from his chest. 


	7. Well, do they?

And the end. I don't like it much. Oh well. Beta-ed by Karyx!  
  
**  
  
"No...." Zim dropped his gun, his own breath stopping in his chest. "Nooo...I didn't mean...."  
  
"Hurrah for Tacos!" Gir cheered.  
  
"But I...." Zim fell to his knees, a strange emotion filling his eyes with wetness and making his whole body ache. He crawled slowly over to where Dib's body lay, quickening his pace with every painful second.  
  
"Dib...DIB!" He reached out, grasping the prone body and burying his head in Dib's chest. "No...I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Don't die...don't.... I don't care what the Tallest do or say! I was wrong! Dib...DIIIBB!"  
  
"Zim."  
  
Zim's face shot up, his tear-streaked face flushed.  
  
Dib shook his head. "I think you had the velocity turned on full," he started. "That really hurt."  
  
Zim looked down at Dib's chest; the deep red stain on his shirt. "You're...."  
  
"It's paint, Zim. You bought paint ball guns." Dib gave a startled laugh. "Wish I'd known that from the start. You scared me to death!" He smiled mischievously. "I KNEW you didn't really want to do this."  
  
"You speak nonsense!" Zim shouted, wiping off his tears. "I could really kill you if I wanted to. I knew it was paint all along. It was a test...." Zim's eyes bulged as two arms wrapped around him; not his neck in a choking grasp, or just around his arms, as if to hold him still. They wrapped completely around him, drawing him to that wonderfully warm body. Zim hadn't the strength to fight back. He let his head drop between Dib's shoulder and neck, his arms falling to his sides.  
  
Dib held him tighter as Zim relinquished himself to the embrace. The last few minutes rang clear in his mind. The feel of something pressing against his chest, the fear as he realized he'd been shot, the anger when he knew he was going to live and that the alien had actually gone through with it, and then the feeling that arose as Zim held him and cried, begging forgiveness and for Dib's own life. And now there was Zim's soft green skin against his neck, the whisper of his breath over his flesh. Dib rested his own head on Zim's, feeling the antennae tickle his cheek.  
  
"I guess this is another draw then," he said softly.  
  
Zim nodded, sliding further into the friendly warmth.  
  
"Awww...no tacos?"  
  
Crimson eyes shot open, arms pressing away from Dib violently with a jerk that snapped up, hitting him in the chin. "Leave my fortress. Now," Zim ordered dully.  
  
"Zim?"  
  
"As you said, it's a draw." Zim stood up, wiping invisible dirt from his clothing. "I hope that doesn't stain your shirt."  
  
Dib looked down for the first time. The straight face on his shirt looked like it'd been dealt with executioner style. "Ah, I should have known better not to have worn it for this type of thing anyway."  
  
Zim nodded, pushing the elevator button. It came down quickly and opened, admitting the three and taking them up.  
  
So much for a battle to the death, thought Dib. He looked over at Zim; at the defeated and confused look on the alien's face. He looked hurt. Down to the soul kind of hurt. Dib felt a shiver pass through his being, the kind of intimate feeling you get when you know empathetically what someone is going through. Why was it that he connected more with an alien than with his own race? Maybe this had been what Zim was talking about. The "test," or whatever it was, Dib thought. Maybe Zim was testing him to see if he could be his...friend.  
  
"So...does this mean we're friends now?" Dib asked, rubbing at his chest. It may have only been a paint ball pellet but he could tell there was going to be a bruise.  
  
The Irkin shook his head. "I don't know." Zim's face felt hot and he quickly turned away from Dib, hoping the human wouldn't have seen. "Do friends...do...what we did downstairs?"  
  
"You mean try to kill each other with projectile weaponry?"  
  
"No...the hugging...thingy..." Zim risked a turn of his head to study the human's reaction.  
  
Dib shrugged. "Well, yeah. It shows how much they care for each other."  
  
"You...care for me?"   
  
Gir's turquoise eyes turned a glowing red. "Master doesn't need a human to care for him!"  
  
"Silence, Gir!" Zim spat, smacking the robot over the head.  
  
"Ouch...that huuurrtt."  
  
Dib laughed lightly. "I guess. I never really thought about it before but...I don't know. It kinda felt...right." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Being a paranormal expert, I'm pretty good at going with what feels right and not just what makes sense."  
  
"Do friends hold hands?"  
  
"Sometimes, I guess. I really haven't ever had a friend."  
  
"Do friends...kiss?"  
  
Dib's eyebrows shot up. "Kiss?"  
  
Zim nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"I...I don't know. A certain kind of friends do." Dib began to wonder how much longer he'd be in the elevator. The questions were becoming slightly uncomfortable, so he decided to turn them around a bit. "Do you think friends try to take over another friend's planet?"  
  
"...yes?" Zim answered. The look on Dib's face made him quickly rethink that one though. "No..." The Irkin sighed. The Tallest were not going to like that. "Could I take over a country at least?"  
  
Dib narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Somehow I think you would be getting more out of this friendship thing than I, Dib," Zim spat, "...but, I will agree to coexist on friendly terms."  
  
The elevator opened and a disgruntled Gir ran out, jumping onto the couch and hiding his head under a rubber pig. Dib smiled, his eyes wide with delight.  
  
"You mean it?"  
  
"Yes, yes. It is by my great will that I deem you worthy of my time and compassion." Zim cleared his throat. "But...because you are getting the better end of the deal, I request two things from you."  
  
Curious, cautious, but overly optimistic, Dib nodded. "Sure. What?"  
  
"One, we continue to test our skills against each other as usual. Just no more trying to kill or dissect the other."  
  
Dib nodded. "And second?"  
  
Zim closed the space between them with two short steps and pressed his lips against Dib's. It was a soft and chaste kiss, but it left Dib breathless in surprise, with his cheeks painted scarlet.  
  
"Second, I get to do that every once and a while."  
  
"It is for the greater good of mankind," a little voice said in the back of Dib's head. The meek voice in the background seemed to say something about a sad cover-up and conspiracy against suppressed emotions but, as always, the louder one won out. Luckily, for the first time in a long time the two agreed.  
  
"O-okay. In private though."  
  
"Of course." Zim opened the front door, unsure what else to say or do. "Well...goodbye. Friend."  
  
Dib nodded, stepping out, grateful for the cool breeze as it chilled his burning face. "See you at skool." They stared at each other for a few more minutes until Dib finally gave a last wave and ran off in the direction of his house. Zim watched him through the open door for a while, resting his head on the frame.  
  
"Can we go get those tacos now?" Gir asked, jumping out from behind the couch.  
  
Zim smiled, his mind finally resting and content with the present reality. "Yes, Gir. Let's go get tacos."  
  
**  
  
(I wrote this just to be evil so never mind it)  
  
Dib walked through is front door and fell onto the couch rather than make his way upstairs to his bedroom. He checked the VCR for the tape of Mysterious Mysteries he hoped Gaz had taped, but found it empty. So much for that. The couch was very inviting, though, and his room was all the way up those stairs.... Dib wondered why he thought he had to make excuses for himself to sleep on the couch and just sprawled out for a nice long nap.  
  
In the morning, Gaz came down the stairs in her black, skull-print P.J.'s, eager to watch her Saturday morning cartoons. She grabbed a bowl of cereal and carried it out to the coffee table to eat. Better to rot your teeth and mind at the same time, she thought. The bowl quickly dropped from her hand, though, as she saw the body lying on the couch. The dried blood on his shirt told the whole story.  
  
She wiped a tear from her eyes and held a closed fist to the sky. "Curse you, Zim!"  
  
"You mind keeping it down, Gaz?"  
  
Gaz jumped ten feet in the air, a gasp of relief slipping through her usually calm composure. Dib rolled over on his side, smacking his lips in his sleep. Red-hot steam collected over her head as Gaz glared at her brother, who had probably given her the scare of her lifetime. He was still asleep, she noted, as she stood next to him with her fist ready to slam into his thick and overly proportioned head. And still alive. She sighed and let her fist drop to her side. She bent down and kissed him softly, knowing he wouldn't remember she'd done it, let alone that he had succeeded in getting any kind of reaction out of her.   
  
"You really are pathetic."   
***  
  
I HATE being sappy. I'm gonna have to work on that in my next fic. Please don't let this one set your idea on my ability. I usually write a lot better than this. I was kinda pressed for time though. I may go back and fix this one. Anyway, The End! I promise one with a little more physical contact soon. 


End file.
